Open letter to the Chancellor of Germany about the visit of Mr Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda

Distinguished Madam Chancellor,

In June this year, you received Mr Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda. Mr Paul Kagame was in his second term and last mandate, which should have ended on 04th August 2017. However, he and his administration have altered the Rwandan constitution through a so called referendum in December 2015 to grant Mr Paul Kagame to run for further terms of office until his death. Allow me, as a German citizen with Rwandan roots and a member of the Rwandan Government in Exile, to draw your attention to the following points:

As the German Head of State, it belongs to your rights and duties to receive international political representatives. At the same time, those rights and duties are also accompanied by a moral responsibility. Mr Paul Kagames’ brutal and inhuman approach to the Rwandan people is internationally known.

The following documents show that the President Kagame has seriously violated human rights and/or let human rights be severely violated:

Those who stood up to show these grievances and tried to participate in the political design of Rwanda on the ground were arrested, punished and killed.

Mrs Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment. She wanted to register her party in 2010 to run as a president of Rwanda. Her party “The United Democratic Force of Rwanda“ (fdu inkingi) has not yet been registered. Their members are constantly persecuted, abused and even tortured to death by Kagames’ regime:

– Rwanda: Decades of attacks repression and killings set the scene for …

Jean Damascene Habarugira (member of the fdu) was killed in May 2017.

The same happened with the party “PDP Imanzi“ of Deogratias Mushayidi. He was sentenced to life imprisonment because he criticized the leadership of Mr Kagame. Mr Kagame expects the uncompromising approval of EVERY TUTSI. People (both Tutsi and Hutu) are killed on the basis of such a critique. There are a lot of examples like this.

Rwandan people of the diaspora were denied entry to the country. Father Thomas Nahimana, an exiled politician and his team have been denied entry twice by the Rwandan government. The reason for their entry: Father Nahimana wanted to register his political party “Ishema“. After that, Father Thomas Nahimana, declared the Government of Rwanda in Exile. The aim of the Government in Exile is to introduce democracy in Rwanda. It is trying to make public the human right violations in Rwanda in order to create an international consciousness through diplomatic channels.

The Government of Rwanda in Exile was received in March 2017 by some members of the US parliament in Washington DC, and in May 2017 it was officially received by some members of the Australian government, parliament, and the opposition in Canberra.

Rwanda is always being introduced as a positive example when it comes to cleanliness in an African country. However, the cruel means by which this state is achieved, are never mentioned. For example, in order to keep the capital of Kigali clean, street- children had to be removed from the city. These, mostly orphans, were therefore hiding in the sewers from the city patrol. In April 2017, the city patrol poured gasoline into the sewers and lit it with fire to chase the orphans away. A lot of burned children died on the spot. The only child who survived first, died later because of his serious injuries. Some people in exile in Belgium had immediately collected donations to enable the child to be treated in Europe, but through his Representative Olivier Nduhungirehe, the ambassador of Rwanda in Belgium, Kagames’ regime hindered their actions. The child had to die to keep Kigali clean for the rich Rwandans and tourists. Omar, the burnt child, died in May 2017.

– 2017 n 19 Rwanda Enseignement RDC -Guyane.pdf – CongoForum

Madam Chancellor, we, the Government of Rwanda in Exile, cannot call the government of Mr Paul Kagame a democracy. On the contrary, we clearly recognise the structures of a dictatorship. Long in advance, we were convinced to be able to witness the staging of a presidential election on 04th August 2017. And Mr Kagame has emerged as a winner with 98,63 % of the vote. The President himself had announced a score of 100% on the first day (14th July 2017) of his election campaign in Ruhango.

The only potential opposition candidates were excluded by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) on the grounds that, Mrs Diane Shima Rwigara and Mr Gilbert Mwenedata, would not have fulfilled the conditions of selection. They should have given 600 signatures of citizens from different regions to the NEC. In her first attempt at admission, Mrs Rwigara handed in more than 980 signatures. Half of them were not accepted by the NEC without justification. The second time, Mrs Rwigara submitted more than 1000 signatures from citizens. This time, her request was rejected on the basis that she allegedly submitted signatures from already deceased.

Mrs Rwigara strongly condemns the repression of the Rwandan people by Kagames’ government. She also opposed the violence by the army and the police forces. She proved that not only her father, but many other innocent Rwandan people were killed on behalf of the government. Mrs Rwigara has also spoken publicly about the famine that kills many Rwandan or forced them to flee to neighbouring countries. Many Rwandan people saw the candidacy of Mrs Rwigara as something very positive. But we suspect that her candidacy was thwarted by the above-mentioned restrictions. We are very concerned that after the election on 04th August 2017, Mr Kagame will arrest Mrs Rwigara.

As a government in exile, we agree that Mr Kagame must abolish all limitations of freedom of expression and fundamental rights, including the prohibition of peaceful political activities, and you, Madam Chancellor, can support this. We would be glad to see Germany taking action, so that Mr Kagame no longer hurts the rights of his fellow human beings.

As Mr Kagame was not chosen voluntarily on 04th August 2017, we cannot consider him as the president of Rwanda. It is against the will of the majority, whose everyday life is dominated by fear.

You, as a Chancellor, have the opportunity to not recognize Mr Kagame as the president of Rwanda. Not at least, since without the forced amendment of articles 101 and 172 of the constitution, Mr Kagame would no longer be allowed to act for a third mandate. Therefore, after the 04th August 2017 Mr Kagame had been unconstitutionally appointed as the president of Rwanda

Madam Chancellor, please take all the measures at your disposal to convince Mr. Kagame to respect the Rwandan constitution. If Mr. Kagame turns a blind eye to this, we urge you, as a matter of urgency and due to the many painful and cruel events to which to adults and children in Rwanda have been exposed, to freeze the cooperation between Germany and Rwanda, to no longer receive Mr Paul Kagame and to impose sanctions.

Support us by welcoming us, the Rwandan Government in Exile. Please listen to our concerns and contribute to the introduction of democratic structures in Rwanda.

Yours respectfully,

Chantal Mukamana Mutega Minister of Education and Spokesperson of the Rwandan Government in Exile